CVAG poised to receive region's largest award for active transportation

Palm Desert - The Arts and Music Line – a transformative bike and pedestrian project led by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) – has been recommended to receive $36.483 million in active transportation funding from the State of California, officials announced this week. This is the largest single award announced for the Coachella Valley in the history of the state’s competitive Active Transportation Program.

The Arts and Music Line will reinvent how cyclists and pedestrians travel along Avenue 48 in the Cities of La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. The 15-mile project embraces the use of bold color schemes, innovative lighting and artwork to create not only a safe and inviting route but also a destination in and of itself. It includes two connections to CV Link – the valleywide multi-modal pathway now under construction – and a connection to the polo grounds, which is home to the world-renowned Coachella and Stagecoach art and music festivals.

The grant was recommended to be funded by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) staff, which on Thursday identified 67 projects in the statewide component that should receive $853.52 million from the 2023 Active Transportation Program. The grant awards are recommendations by CTC staff. The projects, along with recommendations for the small urban and rural projects, will be presented to the California Transportation Commission for approval when they meet in Riverside on December 7-8, 2022.

“This is a huge victory for the Coachella Valley, especially the residents and visitors of Coachella, Indio and La Quinta who choose to lace up their sneakers or ride their bikes,” said Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, who is Chairman of CVAG’s Transportation and Executive Committees. “Our region has worked for years to make improvements in our biking and walking network, and we have been at the forefront of innovation. The Arts and Music Line will take the Coachella Valley’s active transportation network to a new level.”

California’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created by state legislation to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. The ATP consolidates various transportation programs - including the federal Transportation Alternatives Program, state Bicycle Transportation Account, and federal and state Safe Routes to School programs - into a single program to increase the proportion of biking and walking trips, improve safety for non-motorized users, ensure investments into disadvantaged communities, achieve public health goals and help achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals.

The Arts and Music Line has an estimated total cost of $46 million and CVAG has been using local and regional funding to get the project shovel-ready. It was one of only five projects in Riverside County to be recommended for funding. CVAG submitted the Arts and Music Line for funding in two previous ATP funding cycles, and was offered partial grants. Instead, the agency turned those down and opted to re-submit the project in hopes of securing a full grant award.

“We’ve long embraced projects that promote active lifestyles, particularly walking and biking, as they have so many benefits to our public health and air quality. This is a wonderful amenity that fosters well-being for all ages. The Arts and Music Line will be yet another reason the Coachella Valley is a must-see destination for travelers seeking to get outdoors and safely enjoy a bike ride, walk or run,” said La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans.

This year’s recommended awards include more projects than previous cycles thanks to a one-time, $1.049 billion augmentation that was included in the California’s Budget Act of 2022. Without the augmentation, state officials said only 23 projects would have been recommended for funding in the statewide component.

“This is a monumental project for the Coachella Valley, especially the cities in the eastern Coachella Valley,” said Indio Mayor Waymond Fermon. “We have seen far too many cyclists and pedestrians lose their lives on our roadways. Projects like the Arts and Music Line will fix that. With the funding in place, I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this project built.”

CVAG and Coachella Valley cities have traditionally fared well in the ATP cycles. CVAG has previously secured three ATP awards for CV Link, which total nearly $22 million.

After the CTC votes on the statewide projects, all other project scores will be reviewed and funded on a regional level. For the Coachella Valley, that process includes additional scoring and recommendations by the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Association of Governments. Based on the scores released Thursday, the City of Desert Hot Springs proposal to make safe routes to school improvements along Hacienda Avenue will be a strong contender for funding in that round.

Renderings of the Arts and Music Line can be found here: https://cvag.org/arts-music-line-renderings/